Showing results by author "Wyatt North" in All Categories

The office of the bishop of Rome is one of the most powerful positions in the world. As an ancient institution stretching back for centuries, the papacy has a history that is marked by archaic and modern customs alike. The history of the men who have held this position is fraught with villainous and heroic actions that have left a profound impact on the development of civilization as we know it, both in the West and East.

No matter what one ultimately decides about Benedict, it remains incontrovertible that he is a remarkable man. Not only was he a world-class theologian before he was elected to the papacy, but he also gained renown by becoming the first pope to resign freely since Celestine V. He has always been a man who is concerned with the direction of humanity and the triumph of truth, love, and goodness.

Understanding the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio is essential to understanding how Pope Francis shepherds his flock - and the key is mercy. What exactly do people find so attractive about Pope Francis? There is something about him that captivates and delights people, even people who hardly know anything about him. This audiobook uncovers the life of the 266th Bishop of Rome, Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

To write a book about Jesus is a challenging task; to live a life like Jesus' is more challenging still. Though not primarily a work of theology or of spirituality, this popular history intends to help the words and deeds of Jesus come alive for contemporary readers. In Jesus' day, he was a polarizing figure; one was either for him or against him.

Thomas Merton is one of the most famous American Catholic authors of the twentieth century. A prolific writer, Merton published 36 books and collections of poems over the span of 27 years, and has 38 posthumous publications that bear his name. Even more impressive than his voluminous output, however, is his deep spirituality that enraptured generations of people seeking intimate union with God.

Nelson Mandela's legacy is known worldwide, and his life has been widely documented. His memory is preserved in statues, paintings, feature films, history books, and biographies. Yet to many Americans, Mandela may be somewhat unknown. Many people around the world consider Mandela one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford. His research on Beowulf is still considered a standard in the field. Tolkien, however, unlike most Oxford dons, stepped out of his role as professor to create popular literature. Tolkien’s best-known writings were The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, in which he created a fully realized world known as Middle-earth, vaguely identifiable as Northern Europe in a pre-history that never was.

The turn of the last century produced many great thinkers as well as many great writers. Some have the distinction of being known as both. Fewer still have been adored by the masses for their public engagements and their amicable persona. Gilbert Keith Chesterton was all of those things. He was a true renaissance man of the modern era, whose impact on modern Christianity, and Christian apologetics, is unfortunately becoming increasingly forgotten.

Jesus was a Messiah behind enemy lines - God come into a sinful world ruled by evil. He was on a secret mission to save humanity. To Jesus' first-century Jewish contemporaries, whatever the Nazarene might be, he was not simply "another good rabbi". Jesus was a polarizing figure. One believed either that this powerful preacher and wonderworker was uniquely of God, or that he was an agent of the Evil One.

What does the Dalai Lama's life teach us? Certainly, he is a sterling example of turning adversity into joyful service. But there is more to him than that. He is also a model of innovation and adaptation. He has taken the tenets of Buddhism and made them relevant to everyone. He has found commonalities in the teachings of Catholicism and Buddhism.

While St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved saints in history, the relevancy of St. Francis for our times in light of the election of Pope Francis has yet to be explored. This book is written with the intention of filling that gap. While it is biographical in nature, it also freely explores themes that relate to St. Francis but are not a part of his life.

The office of bishop of Rome, is one of the most powerful positions in the world. As an ancient institution stretching back for centuries, the papacy has a history that is marked by archaic and modern customs alike. The history of the men who have held this position is fraught with villainous and heroic actions that have left a profound impact on the development of civilization as we know it, both in the West and East.

Before she even turned 40, Florence Nightingale was the darling of the British public, the heroine of the Crimea. She could have sailed home to England and comfortably lived out her days. Instead she conducted a postmortem on every moment of her wartime service. She sought to broadcast her mistakes so everyone would understand what happens in unsanitary medical facilities. One hundred and fifty years ago, the respect we now have for nurses and the intense training that nurses must undergo was nothing but a seed in Florence Nightingale's imagination.

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897) is one of the most popular saints in modern times. What makes her life so outstanding and such an inspiration to so many people? She had no sustained spiritual visions, unlike St. Bernadette of Soubirous before her or the three children of Fátima after her. She had no stigmata, was not a martyr, was not a teacher during her lifetime, and did not start a religious order.

There are a great many men and women who have forever influenced and changed the course of Christian history, but one might ask whether any have made such a profound impact as Saint Paul the Apostle. It is through the ardent work of Paul that we know the path to Salvation, one which leads us and binds us to God through the love of Christ. When Jesus revealed himself directly to Paul and called Paul into his service that set Paul apart from other disciples who had come into the faith since the crucifixion.

John XXIII was nicknamed "The Good Pope" because of his humble, loving, and open character and his gracious sense of humor. In possessing those attributes, he is viewed by many to be similar to Pope Francis today. Like Pope Francis, Pope John was wont to stroll about Rome by night and make pastoral visits to sick children and prison inmates.

People are fascinated by the concept of royalty. The notion stirs up sentiments of love, admiration, and hatred. We see ourselves in them, and yet we criticize them at times with indignation. While most monarchies today have been put aside or at least limited in their power, the concept of royalty cannot be erased from human consciousness. In the words of Jesus, Christians pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

It has become a cliche to say that one person can make a difference, but the life of Mahatma Gandhi confronts us with the enduring truth of that statement. It is impossible to say exactly what moved people to revere and follow him and be imprisoned and beaten on his behalf by the thousands. No doubt his ever-gentle demeanor had a hand in that. His perpetual grace and joy, even in the face of terrible hardship, surely won some hearts and minds.

A man of reason and vigorous discourse, and a renowned professor of literature and philosophy, C.S. Lewis, always "Jack" to family and friends, never shied from intellectual debate, and through his written works encouraged others to wrestle with the difficult questions of faith. A master of visual illustration and allegory, Lewis wrote with the intuitive understanding that his readers wrestled with the same questions about the Christian story, about pain, suffering, and notions of Heaven and Hell, as he himself had wrestled.

Though Joan described herself as "a poor girl who knew neither how to ride nor lead in war," she did know how to obey God. That simple skill changed the course of both her life and that of the entire nation. Twenty-five years after her execution, Saint Joan was pronounced innocent, and declared a martyr. Joan stood up for her belief and against all odds fought for her people. She was a true hero, and remains an inspiration to this day.